Time-recording apparatus.



No. 838,855. V PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906. W. I. POLLETT & J. ALSENZ. TIME RECORDING APPARATUS.-

APPLICATION FILED MABHZQ, 1.906.

5 SHEETS-SEEET 1.

WITNESSES A TTOHNEY an: cm, WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 838,855. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906. W..I. FOLLETT 6: J. ALSENZ. TIME RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.24,1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

If; q MAM QM WITNESSES I 'bhwa N0. 838,855. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

W. I. FOLLETTKa J. ALSENZ. TIME RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 191124. 1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

WITNESSES 4 A Ali E/vrofis 4i$b9 k k @mzfi @141 A TTOHNE Y TH: nuRms PETERS :0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 838,855. PATENTED DEC. 18. 1906. W. I. FOLLETT & J. ALSENZ.

TIME RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.24,1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ATTORNEY- No. 838,855. PATENTBD DEC. 18, 1906. W. L FOLLBTT & J. ALSENZ.

TIME RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.24. 1906.

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A TTORNE) THE NORRIS PETERS co, WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILBUR I. FOLLETT AND JULIUS ALSENZ, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.; SAID ALSENZ ASSIGNOR TO SAID FOLLETT.

TIME-RECORDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed March 24, 1906. Serial No. 307,843.

To all whom it may concern:

%Be it known that We, WILBUR I. FoLLETT, of the borough of Brooklyn, and J ULIUs AL- SENZ, of the borough of Bronx, city and State of New York, citizens of the United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improved Time-Recording Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. k This invention relates to a class of timerecording apparatus especially applicable to workshop-cost keeping. It provides printing-surfaces that are brought to a common printing-line successively in different consecutive positions along such line, combined with means for taking an impression from any printing-surface when it is in position in the print ing-line. The intervals between the positions of the printing-surfaces in the printing-line may represent equal periods of clock time. Therefore a movable card-holdersuch, for instance, as shown in Patent No. 810,370, granted January 16, 1906, to Wilbur I. Follettis not required. This mode of operation is best effected by disposing the printing-surfaces in a spiral line around an axis of rotation at uniform distances therefrom and providing a hammer or impression-making device equal in length to the printingline. The printing-surfaces may be upon the faces of projections on the surface of a rotating time-controlled cylinder which at predetermined intervals of time receives or is permitted to make one step or increment of rotation, a different printing-surface being brought into the pr nting-line at each partial rotation. It is of course entirely feasible that such time subdivisionsthat is to say, such step-by-step movementsmay be separated by intervals of from one, five, ten, or fifteen minutes or other intervals, as'may be desired.

In the special embodiment of the inven tion herein disclosed the apparatus is depicted as organized for step-by-step movements separated by intervals of fifteen minutes, thus subdividing the hour into quarters.

In order that the apparatus may be constructed without the necessity of reverse movement of any part to bring it into position for the opening hour of a shop, we employ, as above stated, a hammer whose impression-making surface is coextensive with the line of print, and for the same reason the step by step rotatable member carrying the spirally arranged printing surfaces is equipped for making impressions for a period of twelve hours, so that by its mere continuous rotation in the same direction all parts come into operative position, so that after the shutting down of the shop on one evening continued rotation of the apparatus brings it into effective or operative position for the hour of the shop opening on the following day. Thus in the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein it is designed that there shall be forty-eight spirally-arranged printing-surfaces representing twelve hours, the spaces between which represent,

intervals of fifteen minutes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, an elevation of the lefthand side of the machine; Fig. 3, a top view; Fig. 4, a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, an elevation of the righthand side of the machine; Fig. 6, a detail view in elevation, indicating the hammer, operating-lever, and hammer-tripping devices in normal position; Fig. 7, a like view showing the operating-lever depressed and the hammer tripped, and Fig. 8 a detail view showing the cylinder and the spirally-arranged printing-surfaces thereon.

The frame of the machine comprises, primarily, a base a and upper plate Z), and above the latter a clock-supporting platform 0,- these parts being spaced and supported by appropriate columns. Mounted in bearings in plates a b is a vertically-disposed cylinder at, the periphery of which carries projections, in this instance forty-eight in number, extending around it in a helix or spiral line from the upper to the lower end, Fig. 8. The final projection e at the bottom of the cylinder is not in line vertically with the first projection f at the top, but the two are spaced circumferentially of the cylinder in the same manner as all the other projections.

The cylinder is to be driven by any appropriate motor, an ordinary spring-drum being shown. Its gear g meshes with pinion g on horizontal shaft g having a bevel-gear g meshing with a corresponding double gear 9 on the shaft of the cylinder (Z. At the base of the cylinder there is a concentric gear h, meshing with a pinion h on a short vertical shaft 7?, which carries a larger gear hi, meshing with a pinion 7% on a vertical shaft 7?, extending upwardly into proximity to the clock-platform and having upon its end a bevel-gear h, meshing with bevel-gear k on a short horizontal shaft which carries an escapementdisk i. The clock-train is not shown, but the minuteshaft thereof is indicated at and carries a four-toothed cam j, upon the periphery of which bears a pin projecting laterally from a vertically-disposed escapementlever 3' pivoted at 7' and having applied to it a spring 3' whose reaction tends to keep its upper end in engagement with the camwheel. Its lower end overlaps the escapement-diski and is formed with aprojection i, extending toward the face of the disk and into the path of pins i 11 projecting therefrom in close proximity to each other and arranged at different distances from the axis of the disk. This device operates to permit the cylinder (Z to advance under the stress of its motor one step each fifteen minutes to bring successively into the vertical printing-line the printing-surfaces of the several proj'ec tions on the cylinder. The operation is as follows: The cam-wheel on the minute-wheel shaft moving in the direction of the arrow rocks the lower end of the lever toward the axis of the escapement-lever and carries the projectionioutof thepath ofpiniipermitting a very slight movement of the escapementdisk until it is arrested, when its pin i catches upon the projection i. When the point or rise of the cam-surface of wheel y" passes out of engagement with lever y' the latter moves away from the axis of the disk and out of engagement with the pin i permitting the escapement-disk to complete its revolution. The' driving-gears are so proportioned that this permits the cylinder to advance one step to bring a new printing projection into the printing-line. The slight movement of the disk when the pin 01 passes out of engagement with the end of lever 7' tends to permit a very slight movement of the printing-surface then in line of printing. The movement is, however, practically taken up in the gearing, so that there is no observable lack of alinement of the printingsurface in the printing-line.

The hammer 7c is carried by a vertical rockshaft is, to which is applied a coiled spring the reaction of which tends constantly to throw the hammer to the printing plane. This hammer is coextensive in length with the cylinder (Z and will therefore, when thrown into operation, take an impression from that one of the printing-surfaces upon the cylinder which is then in its position in the printing-line.

m represents a vertically-disposed cardholder for the reception of a workmans card upon which an impression is to be made.

it n are ribbon-bobbins from one to the other of which a ribbon M, Fig. 4, is wound, the ribbon being in width equal to the length of the cylinder. Each time the hammer is actuated, as presently described, a springpressed pull-pawl 0, carried thereby, acts, on return of the hammer to normal position, upon a ratchet-wheel 0 on the axis of the ribbon-bobbin 'n to effect feed of the ribbon. Any appropriate ribbon mechanism may be employed. That shown is suitable for the purpose. The bobbin n, Fig. 2, is provided with a knob or handle 11?, by which the ribbon may be back wound. The hammer is held in normal retracted position by a pivoted latch 29, that engages a projection 12, extending laterally from a collar on the rock-shaft k of the hammer. The operating-lever g, pivoted at has an upwardly-extending part q, overlying the rear end of the pivoted latch. When, therefore, the operating-lever is depressed, the latch 19 is disengaged from projection p, tripping the hammer, which is thrown to the printing plane by its spring 75 Ap plied. to the operating-lever is a coiled spring 1, attached at its upper end to a projection extending from an adjustable collar 7" on one of the vertical frame-posts. This springis of greater strength than the hammeroperating spring k and when the operatinglever is released after an impression has been taken it rises under the influence of the spring 1", and a cam-surface 9, carried by the lever, acts upon the projection p on the rock-shaft of the hammer, and so effects retraction of the hammer to normal position, when it is auto matically reengaged by its retaining and tripping latch 19. I

The characters upon the printing-surfaces of the spirallyarranged projection on the cylinder may vary according to the system of time or cost keeping to be employed. For instance, if the workmens cards are printed upon equally-spaced lines with indications of the actual clock timethat is to say, an indication of the hours and subdivisions of the hour i'nto fifteen minutes, as 7.00, 7.15, 7.30, 7.45, 8.00, &c.and these indications be spaced correspondingly with the vertical spacing of the projections upon the cylinder such projections may merely have any arbitrary character engraved thereuponas, for instance, an arrow-head, a dot, or any desiredmark. If the workmens cards be printed in spaced lines with figures representing elapsed time, the printingsurfaces may also be engraved with any arbitrary mark. If the workmens cards be blank, the printingsurfaces may be consecutively engraved with numerals from0 to48 and each successive impression of a numeral would indicate an interval of fifteen minutes, and each numeral printed shows the numbers of fifteen-minute intervals of time that have elapsed from the opening of the shop. The drawings show the printing-surface engraved as last described and also the way of elimicorresponding with the time of the noon recess with some arbitrary mark or arranging that such surfaces shall not print at all. Thus in Fig. 1 the surface bearing the numeral 20 is followed by two surfaces, one having a dash and the other a cross, after which the consecutive numbering of the surfaces continues-21,22, &c. In such case there may be but forty-six (46) printingsurfaces, impressions from which indicate time- L. 6., from 0 to 45, inclusivethe two other surfaces, making the total up to forty-eight, (48 being eliminated in the printing operation. The printing-surfaces maybe engraved with actual clock time representing successively intervals of fifteen minutes, or they may be engraved to represent elapsed time from the opening of the shop, so that the impression, from any surface gives in figures the time that has elapsed from the opening of the shop up to the time of taking the impression, subject to a variation of fifteen minutes or less with the particular form of apparatus illustrated.

An apparatus such as has been described is characterized by the utmost simplicity of structure. Its cost of manufacture is very small as compared with other apparatus de signed to accomplish similar ends, and being simple and solid in structure it is not liable to become deranged or inoperative.

It is apparent that when the hammer is tripped the impression will be taken from that surface only which is standing in the printing-line and that without special provision there will be no impression made upon the card from adjoining printing-surfaces.

' It will be observed that the recordis for a single day and that the card-holder is always stationary or immovable \Ve claim as our invention 1. Time-recording apparatus comprising a series of printing-surfaces disposed spirally about an axis of rotation and at uniform distances therefrom, time-controlled means for effecting step-by-step rotation thereof continuously in the same direction at intervals of time corresponding with equal subdi visions of an hour to successively bring the printing-surfaces to a printing-line consecutively in different positions along the line, an impression device coextensive in length with the line of print and adapted to effect an impression from any printing-surface when it is in its position in the printing-line and a cardholder immovable at all times and adapted for the reception of individual workmens day-cards upon which such impressions are made.

2. Timerecording apparatus comprising a series of printing-surfaces disposed spirally about an axis of rotation, time-controlled means whereby such series of' printing-surfaces may be rotated step by step about such axis continuously in the same direction such sions are made.

3. A time-recording apparatus comprising a series of printing-surfaces disposed spirally about an axis of rotation and having consecutive numerals, the successive numerals corresponding with successive intervals of time representing equal subdivisions of a work period of a day, time-controlled means for rotating such series of impression-sur faces step by step continuously in the same direction at uniform intervals of time to bring them successively to the printing-line consecutively at diflerent points in such line, an impression device coextensivein length with the line of print for taking an impression from any printing-surface when in its position in the printing-line and a card-holder immovable at all times and adapted for the reception of individual workmens day-cards upon which such impressions are made.

4. A time-recording apparatus comprising the combination of a series of printing-surfaces disposed spirally about an axis of rotation and bearing respectively time-indicating characters, time-controlled means for rotating such series of printing-surfaces step by step at uniform intervals of time continuously in the same direction and corresponding with equal subdivisions of an hour, to bring them successively to a printing-line consecutively at different points therein, the characters upon the printing-surface being such as to cooperatively effect impressions indicating time, an impression device coextensive in length with the line of print, for taking an impression from any one of the printing-surfaces that may be at the printing-line and a card-holder immovable at all times and adapted for the reception of individual workmens day-cards upon which such impressions are made.

5. Time-recording apparatus comprising a series of printing-surfaces arranged consecutively at successively uniformly increasing distance from a line of print and in a space equal in length to the line of print, time-controlled means acting to move the series of printing-surfaces step by step corresponding with predetermined equal intervals of time and continuously in the same direction to successively bring them, one at each such step, to the line of print consecutively at different points therein, an impression de- ITO vice coextensive in length with the line of In testimony whereof we have hereunto print for effecting an impression from any subscribed our names.

printing-surface when in position in the WILBUR I. FOLLETT. printing-line and a card-holder immovable JULIUS ALSENZ.

at all times and adapted for the receptionof Witnesses:

individual workmens day-cards upon which L. F. BROWNING,

such impressions are made. F. WIOKS. 

